The Untamed Predator

Yoon Dae-eon had bolted toward Seon Ji-ha’s apartment the moment he left through the back gate, but it was only upon arrival that he realized a glaring problem.

Seon Ji-ha’s home was no ordinary residence. It was a high-security complex where even reaching the doorbell of a unit was nearly impossible without getting a hold of the owner first. Not to mention the elevators, which wouldn’t even budge without a resident card key.

Stuck at the entrance, he stood there squeezing the strap of his crossbody bag. Finally, with a surge of resolve, he marched inside.

“Um, hello?”

First, he greeted the security guards who were always stationed at the same post. Fortunately, there were a few familiar faces. He had been in and out with Seon Ji-ha so frequently lately that they couldn’t help but recognize him.

“Ah, you’re the guest for Unit 2801, right?”

“Yes! Yes, yes, that’s right. Are you busy by any chance?”

His plan was to get past the guards. He figured they must have a master key for the elevator.

“Not at all. How can we help you?”

“Well, as you know, I’m a friend of the person living in 2801……. But I haven’t been able to reach him for two days now.”

Standing before them, Yoon Dae-eon fidgeted with his fingers, gauging their reaction. Saying ‘two days’ made the duration seem short, so he hurriedly added:

“We used to stay in touch almost every hour. But since it suddenly stopped, I’m just… worried…….”

“Ah.”

Upon hearing his words, three or four security guards suddenly began whispering among themselves. The deep furrows between their brows suggested they knew something.

“Right, that guy from that day. You don’t think he collapsed?”

“There’s an emergency call button in every unit.”

“If he collapsed, he might not be able to press it. I told you we should have called an ambulance that day.”

An ambulance?

They were whispering so quietly that he couldn’t catch the whole conversation, but he heard the word ‘ambulance’ loud and clear. Yoon Dae-eon’s eyes widened as he stepped closer.

“An ambulance? Why an ambulance? Did something happen to Sunbae?”

“Ah…… well. His pheromones were a bit strange. Wait a moment, looking at the logs now, his last entry was indeed two days ago.”

While talking, one of the guards skimmed through the access logs another guard had brought. Even to the security staff, something seemed off; their faces clouded over.

“It seems we should check on him, but…….”

“Why? Is there a problem?”

“Usually, residents here don’t prefer us contacting them first. It’s an apartment that prioritizes privacy, so we have to be careful.”

“Then could I at least go up? I just need to get on the elevator……!”

He was prepared to say he’d take the stairs if he had to. The thought of climbing twenty-eight floors was daunting, but the image of Sunbae potentially needing an ambulance made worry override everything else.

The guards spoke briefly among themselves before finally nodding.

“Since you are a confirmed acquaintance, we can send you up using the master key, but we cannot assist you beyond that.”

“That’s more than enough! Thank you! Ah, I was worried I’d have to climb the stairs.”

“If an ambulance is needed, please press the emergency call button inside the residence. We will contact the nearest hospital.”

After the explanation, the guards escorted Yoon Dae-eon into the elevator and swiped the card key for him. Seeing their reliable presence, he briefly thought, So this is why expensive apartments are worth it.

Exiting on the 28th floor, Yoon Dae-eon scanned the hallway. The silent, cold corridor appeared completely normal.

Of course, it only felt that way to Yoon Dae-eon because he was a Beta. Had even one of the security guards accompanied him, it would have been a different story. Currently, the 28th-floor hallway was not just filled—it was practically drowned in Seon Ji-ha’s pheromones.

It was a concentration of pheromones that would have caused any Alpha or Omega to collapse instantly. But Yoon Dae-eon, the Beta, stood before the front door feeling nothing.

He had spent the whole trip there wondering if he’d done something wrong, but after hearing the guards, he was certain something had happened to Sunbae. He started by calmly pressing the bell.

Chirp—

It was a clear, recorded bird-call sound, one Yoon Dae-eon was hearing for the first time. He had always arrived with Seon Ji-ha, so he’d never had a reason to ring it.

However, the long chime ended, and the door didn’t open.

Worry was now reaching its peak. Abandoned in the desolate hallway, Yoon Dae-eon felt the chill rising from the floor and hesitated for a moment.

Finally, he raised his hand and began to pound on the door.

“Sunbae! Seon Ji-ha Sunbae! Is everything okay?!”

He wished he had listened when Sunbae tried to give him the passcode before. He had declined, thinking it was rude to know someone’s private code, but now he regretted it to his bones.

“Sun……!”

Click-clack.

A mechanical sound whirred. The front door had unlocked. But that was it. The lock was disengaged, but the door didn’t open on its own.

Thinking Seon Ji-ha had opened it from the inside, Yoon Dae-eon paused for a second before pulling the door open.

The heavy front door opened silently. Poking his head inside, he saw the familiar interior—minus Seon Ji-ha.

“Sunbae……?”

Gulp.

His throat tightened as he swallowed hard. For some reason, despite the house looking exactly the same as usual, the atmosphere felt different. After just peeking through the crack, Yoon Dae-eon opened the door wider and stepped inside.

Though he still couldn’t feel it, the house was more than just saturated; it was overflowing with pheromones. It was like a biological warning: Run away from here immediately.

But there was no way Yoon Dae-eon, the Beta, could perceive it. With an oblivious expression, he slowly looked around the living room.

There was no sign of life in the living room, kitchen, or pantry. The presence of a person was felt further inside. Yoon Dae-eon’s feet, clad in white socks, moved slowly.

His movements were extremely cautious—much like the night he had woken up and witnessed Seon Ji-ha.

The bedroom door was wide open. The bed was perfectly made, showing no sign of anyone having been there. He passed it and moved deeper into the unit.

Finally, he stood before ‘that room.’ The same room where he had seen Seon Ji-ha that night.

The only difference was the doorknob; it was broken and dangling precariously. Seeing that, Yoon Dae-eon was certain: Seon Ji-ha was inside this room.

Knock, knock.

“Sunbae, are you in there?”

The firmly locked front door couldn’t have opened by itself; Seon Ji-ha must have unlocked it. That meant he wasn’t unconscious. But strangely, Seon Ji-ha wouldn’t show himself.

That likely meant Seon Ji-ha was avoiding him.

Hiding his inner hurt, Yoon Dae-eon stared at the unresponsive door. If he had just told him something was wrong, he wouldn’t have been this worried.

“……Dae-eon…….”

After a long wait, a deep, low voice finally drifted from inside. It was a mumble, the ends of the words slurred and drawn out. The voice was even deeper than usual.

“Sunbae, what’s wrong? Please, just tell me.”

“……Go…….”

“What?”

Go? Go where?

Yoon Dae-eon blinked at the sudden command. Was he telling him to leave? Was it true, then—did he really just ghost me because he didn’t like me?

While his mind raced, the full sentence finally arrived.

“Run away…….”

For a moment, Yoon Dae-eon couldn’t understand. Why run? Run from what? To an ordinary person, it made no sense.

However, that was a thought only possible because he was a Beta. If he had been an Omega—even a low-tier one—he would have understood Seon Ji-ha’s warning perfectly.

Because underneath the door, through that tiny crack…

Pheromones were leaking out like a flood.

The explosive scent surged out, wrapping around his feet and coiling up his entire body. Even then, Yoon Dae-eon didn’t notice. Contrary to the words ‘run away,’ the pheromones were meticulously entwining him, as if terrified he might actually leave.

It was a scent so potent it would have knocked an Omega unconscious on the spot.

“Where would I even go, Sunbae? Just let me see your face for a second……!”

Click.

Before Yoon Dae-eon could finish, the door opened. Creak. The door, usually so well-oiled it made no sound, let out a strangely loud groan.

The moment the door opened, what Yoon Dae-eon felt was heat. A wave of sweltering, heavy air slapped him in the face.

And finally, he saw him. Seon Ji-ha’s face.

“……Dae-eon.”

Even without feeling the pheromones, the moment he saw his face, he knew. He had seen people in heat before. No matter how much of a Beta he was, he could tell now.

Seon Ji-ha was in the middle of a brutal Rut.

His eyes were not normal. Instinct finally screamed at Yoon Dae-eon: I have to run. I have to get out of here.

The moment he turned to flee—

His waist was seized by a massive hand. It was a laughably easy catch.

Through his blurred vision, Yoon Dae-eon saw the front door in the distance. If only I could get out now…….

“I told you to run away.”

Why didn’t you listen?